STANDARDIZING THE INDIVIDUAL, INDIVIDUALI ZING THE STANDARDIZED - TRYING A CLARIFICATION ON OCCASION OF AN ARTICLE BY CASPAR AND GRAWE

In an article published in this journal, Caspar and Grawe have pleaded against standardization and for 'new construction' of psychotherapy f or each individual case. Standardization and 'new construction' are no t opposites, though. Standardization is already taking place in the fo rm of therapeutic rules that are formulated by therapeutic schools and which guide diagnostics as well as the treatment process itself. To r ealize a rule - be it a 'rule of methods' or a 'rule of relationship' - does necessarily imply adaptations to the individual case. Standardi zation occurs on the level of planning, 'new construction' on the leve l of concrete therapeutic work.